G7 Summit 2026 Donald Trump Macron Starmer Meloni Carney Awkward Moments Evian

When US President Donald Trump arrived at the G7 summit in the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains on Tuesday, the scenic lakeside backdrop may do little to soften the mood inside the meeting rooms. Over the past several months, Trump has publicly mocked, criticised or clashed with most of his counterparts, reopening old grudges and creating new tensions just as world leaders gather to discuss the Iran conflict, Ukraine and the global economy, reported CNN.

The immediate source of friction has been the reluctance of several US allies, precisely NATO, to join Washington’s military campaign against Iran. But Trump’s uneasy relationship with the G7 stretches back years, to tension-filled summits during his first term, when allies often sought to brush aside his barbs in the interest of unity. This time, some leaders have begun pushing back, the report added.

French President Emmanuel Macron, the host of this year’s summit, is among the leaders Trump has known the longest.

Their relationship has swung between public displays of warmth and open irritation. According to CNN, Macron once took pride in his ability to deal with Trump but has recently sounded increasingly frustrated with his American counterpart.

In recent weeks, Trump joked about viral footage appearing to show Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face during an overseas trip, quipping that the French president was “still recovering from the right to the jaw”. He has also mocked Macron’s accent while recounting trade negotiations.

News agency Associated Press reported that Trump’s recent jokes about Macron’s marriage came after viral footage appeared to show French First Lady Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face during an overseas trip.

Trump quipped that Macron was “still recovering from the right to the jaw” and has also mocked the French president’s accent while recounting negotiations.

Relations initially appeared more cordial between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney than they had been with Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.

But CNN reported that disputes over trade and a speech Carney delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos altered Trump’s perception.

AP noted that Trump has increasingly referred to the Canadian leader as “Governor Carney”, a jab linked to his repeated suggestion that Canada should become America’s 51st state.

Carney has largely refrained from publicly responding.

According to CNN, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spent months attempting to cultivate a close working relationship with Trump. For a time, it appeared to be paying off.

But Starmer’s refusal to support Washington’s military campaign against Iran triggered a deterioration in ties.

AP reported that Trump dismissed the British leader by saying, “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”

Trump later suggested Britain had a habit of joining wars only “after we’ve already won”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an early effort to connect with Trump by presenting him with the birth certificate of Trump’s German-born grandfather during a White House meeting.

CNN reported that Merz’s standing subsequently took a hit after he criticised the Iran war and suggested the United States was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership”.

AP pointed to another awkward exchange between the two leaders. During discussions marking the anniversary of D-Day, Trump remarked that the Allied landings “were not a pleasant day” for Germany.

Merz calmly replied that D-Day represented “the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship.”

Trump later urged the German leader to focus on fixing problems in his own country.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has often been viewed as one of Trump’s closest ideological allies in Europe. He has previously praised her as “fantastic” and applauded her leadership.

Yet CNN reported that Meloni also found herself on the receiving end of Trump’s anger after Italy declined to participate in military operations against Iran.

AP reported that the Italian PM later criticised Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV as “unacceptable”, drawing another sharp response from the US president. The episode showed that even leaders seen as natural allies are not shielded from Trump’s frustrations.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has largely managed to avoid becoming a frequent target of Trump’s criticism.

CNN reported that she has made a conscious effort to build a personal rapport with Trump, aided by their shared admiration for the late Shinzo Abe. However, tensions emerged over Japan’s decision not to support the Iran war.

Trump made an offhand joke invoking Pearl Harbour during an Oval Office meeting, asking how Japan could complain about not being informed of US military plans.

The remark landed poorly in Japan, where references to the 1941 attack remain deeply sensitive.

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